Who is Bruce Boyer?
Bruce Boyer is a menswear legend. He has been active in the space for more than 50 years and continues to bring value to the subject. Before he went into the clothing business to become a fashion editor, he worked as a professor of English literature. He followed his passion and went with writing about what he had loved since his youth, rather than working with what he had a degree in.
If you look up Bruce Boyer on Google, you will see that he has a great sense of personal style! You can see that he is comfortable and wears what he loves. This is the level we all want to come to. The place where we know what pieces we love to wear and how to combine them i a great way. If you want to learn how to get there, this book is a great place to start.
What kind of book is this?
“True Style” is a book that serves you practical and insightful advice on menswear. He uses social and historical stories about the origin of different clothing items to describe how people can wear the items today. Bruce writes engagingly, and you will soon find yourself invested in stories like how the denim jeans came about or the story of how fragrances came into menswear.
Favourite chapters in the book and why.
Each chapter in the book takes care of one specific theme, for example: ascots, denim, evening dress or boots. It isn’t likely that all chapters are equally relevant to you, but every chapter is worth reading.
One chapter that I enjoyed was the chapter about bow ties. The chapter starts like this: “I think we’d better clear this up right at the onset: you can tie a bow tie. If I hear another grown man say he can’t, I’ll shoot myself”. I haven’t yet bought myself a bow tie, but after reading this chapter, I know that when l buy my first one, it won’t be a pretied one. When Bruce feels like there is a right and wrong way to wear something, he will tell you. Later in the chapter, he understates his opening line with this:
“I really do hate to say this, but a pretied bow is one of the most obvious signals among aficionados of dress that you’re an amateur”. Bruce Boyer
If you have been in the menswear space for some time, I am sure you have heard about the Italian word “sprezzatura”. This is a concept that Bruce dives into as well. Sprezzatura is all about dressing with a natural carelessness. But behind the carelessness lies a lot of thinking and knowledge. Studied nonchalance. “A few good wrinkles always separate the men from the boys, because invariably the novice tries to appear flawless and correct – and that’s his great mistake”.
Three tips from the book that I will remember:
- “People who understand quality buy the best not to spend a fortune but to save one.”
- “Clothes aren’t supposed to be worn as though they were objects in themselves; they’re the extensions of the individual body and the mind.”
- “‘Haven’t bought clothes in years.’ is an almost unbeatable ploy, since any reply would seem rather arriviste and petty at the same time. (Of course, this only works well if your clothes are actually beyond the grasp of trendy fashion).”
Who will I recommend this book to?
I will recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about personal style. It is well written, but I guess it can be a bit of a slow read if you don’t have any interest in clothing before you start to read.
If I meet someone in the next years who says they’re into menswear, this will be the first book I recommend. It’s also the only menswear book I’ve read so far—so take that with a grain of salt. Because it might change in some time, haha.
“Most people think they are buying style when in fact they’re only buying clothes.” Bruce Boyer